Not just for purebreds

COEUR d'ALENE - Having a furry four-legged friend around is fun, but members of the Coeur d'Alene Dog Fanciers Club believe there is more to dog ownership than wagging tails.

As a nonprofit sanctioned by the American Kennel Club, club members are committed to making the world a happier, safer place for dogs and people to share together.

That goes for all pooches and their persons. Membership in the all-breed club, in existence since 1981, is not limited to purebreds. Mixed breeds are welcome.

"I just love the dogs, and the people in the club. They really care about their animals," said Barbara Campbell, a member who raises and shows purebred samoyeds. "The thing that I'm so proud of is that the people have a real admiration for all breeds, not just their own."

The mission of Coeur d'Alene Dog Fanciers is to promote responsible dog ownership, care and breeding practices through education and example.

"The club has come so far since I've come here," said Campbell, a nine-year member.

Gone are the days when the dog fanciers' only activity was a monthly meeting.

Members now participate in scores of community service and education projects. They also hold regular training classes for dogs and their owners, in their own events building, a structure the group rents on Industrial Loop in Coeur d'Alene. Club members put mats down and painted it themselves.

"It was a lot of work," said club president, Dawna Shepard. "We pay for it with funds generated by our classes."

They offer training programs through the AKC that help dogs become socialized, good citizens, Shepard said.

For 20 years the club has coordinated an annual AKC-sanctioned dog show that attracts about 1,200 canines to the Kootenai County Fairgrounds each Memorial Day weekend.

"We were one of the first clubs in the nation to open our show to mixed breed dogs," Shepard said. "We had a very high scoring mixed breed in performance. It was heartwarming to see."

Just last year, the AKC began allowing mixed breed dogs to compete in performance events, going head-to-head with full breeds.

Other dog show events that acknowledge how well a dog's structure and appearance conforms to a breed's standards remain closed to mixed breeds.

For Shepard, part of the fun of being involved in the dog club and competitions, is that it gives her a chance to share her breed with others. She has a German shepherd and two Belgian Tervurens.

There are many talented, award-winning dog and handler teams among the club's roughly 30 members, Shepard said.

With proper training, dogs and owners can share a "very meaningful life," she said.

"There are all kinds of things you can do with your dog."

Members have animals doing search and rescue work, wilderness tracking, and acting as pet therapists.

One of member Delaena Bundsen's dogs does "avalanche work."

"Our goal as a club is to make dogs and the community go hand in hand together," Bundsen said.

The training classes are part of that effort.

"If you don't train a dog and give it a purpose, it's going to find a purpose, and chances are you aren't going to like it," Bundsen said.

Dogs with training are less likely to be nuisance barkers or home destroyers, she said.

Club membership costs $10 per year for individuals, $15 per household.

Membership applications and information about the classes can be found on the group's website, www.cdadogfanciers.org.